Information

The Spectrum Centre for Mental Health Research

Helping Parents with Bipolar

Want to know more?

The study involves parents with bipolar disorder testing out our new intervention combining a well-known parenting intervention (Triple-P online) with our own bipolar self-management strategies. This is so we can test whether the intervention is helpful and whether it improves parenting and bipolar symptoms.

The current study builds on findings from our previous study which found significant improvements in both child behaviour and parenting for families when parents completed an older version of Triple P Online. This has now been developed and extra elements added.

People with bipolar disorder may find that their changes in mood make the delivery of consistent parenting more difficult than for parents without mental health problems.

Traditional parenting interventions do not address the particular needs of people with bipolar disorder, and psychological interventions do not necessarily focus on parenting skills.

This site therefore combines an established parenting intervention with information and resources for parents with Bipolar Disorder.

The study is recruiting individuals within the north west region of England.
Participants must: -

Be aged over 18 years

Have at least one child aged 3-10 years

Have an average of at least 10 hours face-to-face contact with this child each week

Have a research verified diagnosis of bipolar disorder (I, II or NOS)

Have access to the Internet

Be able to understand written English in order to provide informed consent & use the intervention

50 parents with bipolar disorder will use the study website for four months. Their views on child behaviour, parenting and their own symptoms will be collected at 5 points over a 12 month follow up period after the intervention. Their responses will be compared to 50 participants who did not have access to the website.

Straight after using the intervention 10 participants will also be invited to take part in an interview to ask some more in depth questions about their experience, what they liked, what they didn’t like. 15 children of parents who use the intervention will also be invited to take part in interviews about family life before and after the intervention in order to give us insight into how the intervention really works.

What do we offer?

People with bipolar disorder may find that their changes in mood make the delivery of consistent parenting more difficult than for parents without bipolar disorder. This online parenting support programme combines self-management strategies for bipolar disorder.

Parenting Support

Parenting can be extremely rewarding and enjoyable but also frustrating and exhausting. This site addresses a range of situations and techniques for helping you to support your children's growth and manage difficult behaviour with positive parenting approaches.

Bipolar Self Management

Bipolar can bring positives to parenting but large mood fluctuations can make parenting more challenging. This site looks at the impact of extremes of mood on parenting and how to maintain consistency in your parenting.